It was just a normal day, with you doing normal things. Your alarm clock ran, and when you peeked at it blearily, you squinted to bring the words into focus. 'Time to get up,' it says. You grabbed for your glasses and shoved them on your face. Padding barefoot into your bathroom, you turn on the taps, watching the mirror steam up, glad you convinced Hermione not to put an anti-steam charm on it. Quickly showering and drying off, you anchored the towel around your waist. You went back into your bedroom, only to find a sheet of white paper sitting on it.
'Harry - I'm making breakfast today. -Hermione,' it read.
You smiled, since it was a morning ritual with you all. Ron, Ginny, and Malfoy had also more than likely recieved notes if they were int he large flat you all shared. Hogwarts had trained you to do many things, but living alone wasn't one of them. You'd become so accustomed to havign people around you for years, and you never felt comfortable being by yourself - it reminded you too much of years you'd spent under the stairs. Your friends - you'd been counting Malfoy as one of them for years now - jollied you out of a bad mood, had meals together, laughed and loved together. And while Ron had recently begun to see Padma Patil, and Ginny and Draco had been sleeping together practically since either one moved in, you and Hermione were the only single people in the flat.
You shake yourself out of your thoughts, dress, and go downstairs, tempted by the smell of food and good-natured laughter. You leisurly enjoy your breakfast, not having to be at work until later in the day. One by one, you bid everyone except Hermione farewell as they Apparated to their separate jobs. You both finish your breakfasts, and you offer to help clean up the kitchen.
So you find yourself humming along to a Muggle radio station, with hands immersed in soapy water, scrubbing an iron pan. You forget what Hermione said to you, but it was funny, so you laugh. Not the polite kind of laugh, where you try to sound natural, but it always sounds forced, this was bone-deep laughter shared between friends.
You rinse the pan off, still laughing and hand it over to Hermione, who was drying. You caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of your eye, and you can't help thinking how beautiful she is. She's still laughing, and your eyes are still fixated on her. It hits you like an Expellanarmus spell, catching you completely off-guard.
You love her.
Your laughter dies slowly, replaced by awe and a touch of fear. You don't know it, but you're standing there looking at one of your best friends, an iron pan still held between you, looking for all the world like someone punched you. You notice her laughter die away also, and she looks vaugely worried.
"Harry, are you all right?"
How can you tell her that you're so completely in love with her, it would kill you to never see her again? Hermione fortunately, could be close to a mind-reader when it came to you, and she read your blank face and burning eyes like a book.
Her smile was soft when it came across her face. "It took you long enough," she rebuked mildly.
Your confusion played openly across your features. She took pity on you and disengaged your hand from the pan, setting it down on a drying towel. Then she moved close and wrapped her arms around your neck.
"Let me make it easy for you. I love you too, Harry Potter."
Now you smile and lean your head down to capture her lips in a sweet, soft kiss. When you came up for air, your head was buzzing and your body was screaming for more. You looked into her fathomless brown eyes and knew that neither of you would make it to work today.
-fini